EU attention to trade in Asia
The European Union has devoted “insufficient attention” to Asia, according to Peter Mandelson, the EU's new trade commissioner.
Mr Mandelson said European governments needed to co-operate more to boost trade and investment in China and the region's other economic powerhouses. He also moved to take some of the heat out of the EU's spat with the US over aircraft subsidies, saying he was prepared to negotiate to stop the dispute escalating and insisting that it was possible to find a compromise.
But he also indicated that the most likely outcome of the situation was stalemate: “We both win or we both lose.”
Mr Mandelson, who takes up his post today, told the Financial Times that the trade relationship with China was “a classic example where each member state derives more by acting together and using the EU's collective weight than by acting separately”.
He added: “When it comes to trade opening and the conditions under which European companies will be treated vis-a-vis American suppliers, for example, we will have a bigger impact by acting together.”
He also said that: “Asia arguably has had insufficient attention from the EU and we have got to step up our game.”
He went on to acknowledge that he was “entering possibly the most politically charged area of policy and international activity” in his new role. “Don't be surprised if there are tensions,” he said.
With regard to the dispute with the US over aircraft subsidies for Boeing and Airbus, Mr Mandelson warned: “We will see this through the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement procedures if we need to.”
Asked whether the two parties could afford the risk of an own goal if the WTO decided both sides offered illegal aircraft subsidies, he said: “You could say that the likely outcome is that we both win or we both lose and I am perfectly prepared to take that chance.
“If need be, I will certainly see this through and I know the EU case is strong.”
Mr Mandelson, who will make his first visit to the WTO this evening, said it was important to give the Geneva-based organisation more resources in order to promote multilateral trade effectively.
欧盟贸易专员：欧盟不够关注亚洲
欧盟新任贸易专员彼得?曼德尔森(Peter Mandelson)表示，欧盟给予亚洲的“关注不够”。
曼德尔森先生表示，欧洲各国政府需要更多合作，以推进在中国和亚洲其它经济大国的贸易和投资。他也提议让欧洲同美国就航空补贴的争吵缓和下来。他表示，他已准备为停止争端升级进行谈判，并坚持认为，找到妥协方案是有可能的。
但他也表示，这种情况最可能的结果是僵局：“我们要么都赢，要么都输。”
今天上任的曼德尔森先生告诉《金融时报》，欧盟与中国的贸易关系是“一个经典例子，表明每一成员国通过共同行动、使用欧盟的集体力量所得到的，比单独行动得到的更多”。
他补充说：“例如，在贸易开放以及将欧洲公司和美国供应商同等对待的条件，通过共同行动，我们的影响力更大。”
他还表示：“欧盟对亚洲的关注可能还不够，我们必须加快我们在亚洲的行动步伐。”
他接着承认，担任新职位后，他即将“进入政策和国际活动这个政治意味或许最浓的领域”。“如果出现紧张局面，我一点也不觉得奇怪，”他说。
至于在波音(Boeing)和空客(Airbus)的飞机补贴上与美国存在争议这个问题，曼德尔森先生警告说：“如有必要，我们将通过世贸组织的争端解决程序来处理这个问题。”
记者问道，如果世贸组织裁定双方都提供了非法飞机补贴，双方是否能够承担殃及自身的风险，他对此的回答是：“你可以说，可能的结果是我们双方都赢或双方都输，但我已完全做好了冒一冒险的准备。”
“如有必要，我当然会坚持到底，我知道欧盟的理由很充足。”
曼德尔森先生今晚将第一次造访世界贸易组织。他说，给予这个总部位于日内瓦的组织以更多资源，以便有效地推动双边贸易，这一点很重要。
